Her Hidden Hero from the Unwritten Page novel Chapter 16

Sarah's face was full of worry. "Why did you sleep for so long? Are you feeling sick? Should we go to the doctor?"

"No need." Jupiter's voice was naturally cool. He raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just feeling a bit tired."

"Did you not sleep well last night?" Sarah asked quickly.

Jupiter nodded.

Sarah said, "I'll heat up some milk for you. Drink it before you go back to bed later. You still have school tomorrow."

"Okay," Jupiter replied softly.

Relieved, Sarah smiled gently. "I'm going to start making dinner then."

Watching his mother walk away, Jupiter's gaze swept over the cramped, cluttered living room. He saw the small square dining table beneath a low-hanging lightbulb, the battered, ancient pedestal fan, a sofa that barely fit two people, and a bulky, outdated television sitting right across from it.

Since graduating high school, Jupiter hadn't stepped foot in this place. After being away for four years, it looked exactly as he remembered.

Only Sarah was different.

In his past life, after Sarah finally divorced her toxic ex-husband, she became so much lighter and brighter. But the Sarah standing before him now was still overly cautious, her face etched with exhaustion.

Jupiter silently closed the door and flipped the light switch. His bedroom was exactly as it had been. Though tiny, it was spotless. He barely had any personal belongings; the only things taking up space were stacks of books and practice workbooks piled in the corner.

He sat in his chair, bending one long leg while pinching the bridge of his nose with a single hand.

He had spent a long time trying to figure it out, but he still couldn't understand why—after merely closing his eyes for a few minutes in an airport lounge before a flight—he had woken up as a seventeen-year-old again.

But in this timeline, Winona was still alive. She was still here.

His phone chimed. Jupiter finally moved. He picked up the phone and glanced at the screen. The indifferent look in his eyes immediately shifted when he clearly saw the friend request.

-

Winona closed her bedroom door, carrying a bowl of cherries Martha had brought up for her. She popped the sweet little cherries into her mouth one by one.

Suddenly, her phone chimed.

Opening it, she raised an eyebrow in surprise. It hadn't even been a minute, yet Jupiter had already accepted her friend request.

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